Day two in my series 7 foods to improve brain health and number two is not a single food but a group – leafy greens.
I’m sure you were told to eat your greens during childhood. Have you ever wondered why? Dark green leaves are packed full of a huge range of minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients. All these nutrients play a different role throughout the body. But what about brain health specifically? There’s a lot of research out there with evidence that leafy greens can reduce cognitive decline. Here’s a selection of the key players in the brain health game.
Leutin
One of many tiny but mighty phytonutrients found in leafy greens, leutin is a member of the carotenoid family, most widely known for supporting eye health. However, it’s also known to have strong anti-oxidant effects in the circulatory system and the brain which are both connected (see below). If you’re not sure what anti-oxidants do, have a look at the first article in this series here.
Research suggests that leutin helps both memory and cognitive functioning. However, most phytonutrients work as a team, so extracting leutin and giving it in a concentrated supplement may not be the way to go. Researchers are still discovering new phytonutrients and how they work; a single one is not the whole story. Whole food sources ensure all phytonutrients are made available in one tasty mouthful.
Vitamin E
A fat soluble vitamin, E is important for protecting cell membranes in the brain from free radical damage. Found in a range of foods, vitamin E has a strong antioxidant effect.
Free radical damage can come from poor diet choices but also exposure to environmental toxins, food additives, cigarette smoke and excess alcohol. Some of these are within our control, others are not. Consuming green leafy vegetables every day is a great way of combating those toxins we can’t remove ourselves.
Vitamin K
This vitamin is often overlooked but it’s just as important as all the others. Another fat-soluble vitamin, K is best known for being involved in the clotting process. Essential so we don’t bleed to death at the slightest knock. It’s also important for blood viscosity ie: how sticky it is.
Blood needs flow well around the body to ensure adequate oxygen gets to the brain to support all the cellular functions going on. Sticky blood due to heart disease or clotting issues means blood flow is impaired. It also increases the likelihood of blood clots forming. If a clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain it will lead to a mini stroke – or a full blown one. Something that’s definitely to be avoided.
Vitamin K also has some powerful anti-ageing properties and is known to help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease as well as regulating calcium levels in the brain.
Folate or folic acid
You’ve probably come across folic acid if you’re a parent. Many people have a poor intake so expectant mothers are encouraged to supplement it before and during pregnancy to support foetal brain development. It’s readily found in whole grains but removed during processing to form 
white flour. Standard practice is to add it back in as an enrichment as it’s so important. Another reason why eating whole is better than refined – you get the nutrients first hand along with less processing.
Folate is a member of the B vitamin clan. These water-soluble vitamins play a whole host of important roles in the body including detoxification, liver support and – most importantly here – brain health.
As well as being important for brain development it’s also implicated in maintaining memory function. Research suggests that people low in folate increases the risk of memory decline by a whopping 90%. That’s definitely a reason to eat your greens as far as I’m concerned!
Nitrates
You may have heard nitrates are bad for you. And in some situations they are. Nitrates are used to preserve processed meats. At high heat, nitrates converted to cell and DNA damaging nitrosamines. One of the reason processed meats are classified as a class 1 carcinogen. However, nitrate as a molecule is harmless and found in a whole range of fresh vegetables.
Once absorbed into the body, nitrates are converted to nitric oxide. This little marvel is a key player in maintaining blood vessel health and function. It helps maintain blood flow and pressure. High blood cholesterol levels and a diet full of inflammatory foods reduce nitric oxide production. This then leads to reduced blood flow and raised blood pressure which has a knock effect in the brain.
A good blood flow in the brain is important as blood carries all the vital nutrients, energy and oxygen it needs. A reduction in any of these compromises function. When blood pressure is high it can compromise blood flow to the brain and potentially increase pressure here too, leading to strokes and/or further reduction in blood flow.
And if you already have a compromised brain due to injury or disease (like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s Disease), it’s already working harder than normal to compensate for this damage, and therefore demands even more nutrients, energy and oxygen.
I hope from this you can see just how important leafy greens are and why it’s important to have one or more portions a day.
So what exactly counts as a leafy green? There are many to choose from. How many of these do you eat every day?
How to eat more leafy greens?
Here’s a few suggestions:
- Green smoothie including two different leafy greens plus some fruit and healthy fat. Don’t forget a squeeze of lemon to help you absorb the nutrients
- A big salad featuring two or more types of greens
- A pile of rocket on top of a pasta dish
- A tasty stir fry including seasonal greens and pak choi (my favourite)
- Stir chopped kale into a vegetable and bean stew
- Add a couple of handfuls of spinach to dal
- Use romaine leaves or large seasonal green leaves as a wrap for fajitas or falafels
- Rocket or spinach as the base for a tasty green sauce
- Try this broccoli and kale tart
There’s so many ways to include leafy greens every day. And it’s a great way to eat with the seasons as different types of greens are available year round. They’re also easy to grow if you have space in the garden. And if not, then microgreens can be grown on a windowsill. They may be tiny but they’re still powerful greens.
I hope you have found this post interesting and helpful. And that you are ready to eat your greens so your brain will flourish.
Published by